


Wicked Stirrings

by Myqueenmarceline



Series: Open eyes [3]
Category: Adventure Time
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Dark, Body Horror, F/F, Kidnapping, Magic, Mystery, Non-Graphic Violence, Tags to be added, This takes place later in the timeline, Thriller, Violence, We're back on that edgy shit
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-30
Updated: 2020-06-17
Packaged: 2021-01-13 22:57:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,955
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21240302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Myqueenmarceline/pseuds/Myqueenmarceline
Summary: Bonnibel finds a mysterious note from Marceline just before her lover disappears. Something wicked is stirring, and Bonnibel is going to have to get to the bottom of this if she wants to see Marceline again...(Note: This is set in the universe of my story "The Awakening", after the events of that story. I'd recommend reading that so this will make a little more sense in terms of the universe/world.)





	1. The Figure

**Author's Note:**

> Shoutout to @nebula-gaster for beta reading this, I appreciate it!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative chapter title: "oh shit here we go again"

At first, Bonnibel didn't realize what was going on. She could vaguely remember dreaming, but she’d woken up for some reason. The room was still dark, with not even a hint of pre-dawn light creeping in through the window. Bonnibel sighed, stretching a bit and turning over.

She was still half-asleep, and she was snuggling into her covers when she noticed the dark figure in the corner of the room. She gasped, sitting all the way up in bed as she kept her eyes on the corner. Bonnibel squinted, but it was clear that this wasn't some stray shadow. There was a silent, unmoving figure standing in Bonnibel’s bedroom.

“Marceline?” Bonnibel fumbled for the nightstand, unsure if she was reaching for the lamp or the gun.

There was no reply. Bonnibel grabbed the gun and cocked it, then reached for the lamp with her other hand. She turned the lamp on, trying to get a better of what she was dealing with. She blinked, her eyes adjusting to the light.

Somehow, in the half-second that her eyes were closed, the figure had disappeared. Bonnibel kept the gun pointed at the corner as she frantically looked around the room, but she couldn't see anything. That wasn’t good.

After a few minutes of silent tension, Bonnibel finally got out of the bed. She held her breath, but nothing happened when her feet touched the floor. Nothing stirred when she walked towards the corner, and nothing stirred when she finally stood in the corner and looked around.

There was an envelope sitting on desk, right next to the place where the figure had been standing. Bonnibel’s name was written across it in a messy scrawl, barely recognizable. The pen had torn through the envelope a little, revealing a crumpled piece of parchment underneath.

Bonnibel picked the envelope up with one hand, examining it. The envelope had been sealed with red wax in a hurry, and the half-melted wax had run down to obscure the crest. Bonnibel scratched at it a little, but it was stuck tight.

Bonnibel reluctantly put her gun down on the desk, using both hands to tear open the envelope. She kept standing, putting her back to the wall. If anything tried to approach her, she would see it out of the corner of her peripheral vision.

Once Bonnibel opened up the parchment, she instantly recognized the handwriting. She sucked in a breath, fully unfolding Marceline’s letter. She squinted a little as she held the letter up to her face, carefully reading it.

_Bonnie,_

_Something from my earlier life has come up. I have to deal with this on my own. I’m not sure if I’ll succeed, but I have to try._

_I know _ ** _I’m_ ** _ being vague, but please don’t try to f_ ** _in_ ** _d any more information. You’re already in _ ** _danger_ ** _ for associating with me. It would be great if you could lay low for a couple of weeks. I don’t know how long I’ll be gone for, but I’ve arranged for you to still be protected. You’ll be alright._

_Wish me luck, I’m going to need it._

_Love,_

_M_**_ar_**_c_**_e_**_line _ ** _t_**_he _ ** _V_**_ampire_ _Queen_

The stressed letters spelling out “I’m in danger” were fairly obvious, but the letters in Marceline’s signature were a little more confusing. It was obviously a scrambled word, but what could be spelled with a-r-e-t-V?

Bonnibel closed her eyes, mentally shuffling and rearranging the letters in her mind. Tevar, ravet, avert, varet… Oh. Vater.

Father.

Bonnibel sighed, and pulled out her chair. She sat down, tossing the letter onto the desk in front of her. Marceline was in danger, danger so great she couldn’t openly talk about it. Marceline had talked to Bonnibel about everything. The one thing she’d never really gone into was her father.

All Bonnibel knew was that Marceline’s father, the literal king of the Nightosphere, had tried to kill her at one point. Bonnibel had enough sense to know that seeking out any more information would be risky. Marceline had even asked her not to… So, she would wait a few days before trying to look into anything else.

After a long moment, she sat up again and pulled out one of the folders of reports she’d been reading. She wasn’t going to be able to sleep any time soon, so she might as well get to work. She slowly began to read, glancing up at the window a few times. A shadow never crossed the glass.


	2. The Phone Call

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Content warnings: mild physical injuries, some scary demonic/ghost things. Be advised: only scary things are ahead.
> 
> Shoutout to nebula-gaster for beta reading this!

Two weeks. Bonnibel hadn’t heard from Marceline in the last two weeks. Not even a letter. She’d asked around as casually as she could, but no one else had seen her either. A few people had actually asked her the same thing.

Apparently, Marceline was even supposed to perform at an underground club a couple of days ago. She’d never showed. Marceline loved music. Ever since Bonnibel had freed her, she’d set to work making a career for herself. She had a good following, and she would never just cancel a performance like that. When the club owner had questioned her, Bonnibel had made some excuse about Marceline needing to feed, and quickly left.

Bonnibel had spent the past hour pacing around her room, mentally reciting Marceline’s letter to herself. She’d memorized it by now, bolded letters and all. Marceline had said she would deal with it, but could she really handle it?

How long could Bonnibel really afford to wait? If she didn’t act now, things could go downhill quickly. Marceline had been imprisoned for close to 800 years the last time she’d encountered her father. Bonnibel was beginning to get the sinking feeling that if she didn’t act for much longer, Marceline wouldn’t be coming back at all.

Bonnibel couldn't deal with that. Yes, she’d worked the past few years to reinforce her kingdom and she could live independently, but she didn’t want to. Marceline had wormed her way into Bonnibel’s heart, slowly helping Bonnibel take down her defences. Bonnibel doubted she would ever find someone as lovely or as kind as Marceline.

She had to find a way to get ahold of Marceline. Even if she still had to lay low for a bit, it would reassure Bonnibel that she was doing all right. Marceline might not be available through any conventional means, but there was still one way Bonnibel hoped would work.

In the first few months of their relationship, Bonnibel had quickly learned about Marceline’s tendency to go AWOL. Marceline liked to go exploring, especially in the hard-to-reach areas of Ooo with virtually no reception. So, Bonnibel had decided to build something that would let her keep in contact.

It was easy enough to do. Bonnibel had taken a pair of phones, modified them so they were broadcasting on the same frequency, and given them strong enough boosters for the signal to reach Mars. The quality wasn’t always great, but she would always hear Marceline’s voice on the other end.

Bonnibel walked over to her closet, opening it up and popping out the false back. She reached into the compartment, grabbing the phone and pulling it out. She opened it up, but there had been no missed calls since she’d checked it this morning.

She fiddled with the phone, leaning back against the wardrobe door. This was probably a bad idea. Marceline had asked not to talk, and if she was caught up in something, Bonnibel’s call might put her in danger.

Bonnibel took a deep breath, then opened the phone up. She could speculate all she wanted, but none of that mattered. She had to do something. Even if she didn't get through, at least she would know that she’d tried.

After a moment of hesitation, she pressed the button to call. She held the phone up to her ear, holding her breath. The phone began to ring, and Bonnibel’s heart sped up. It had connected, so Marceline wasn't out of reach. She closed her eyes, trying her best to control her breathing as she waited to see if Marceline would pick up.

The phone kept ringing, and Bonnibel began to lose hope. She should have expected it, but it was also disappointing. She was ready to give up when she heard the click of someone picking it up on the other end. She sucked in a breath, quickly putting the phone back against her ear to listen.

It was dead silent. There wasn't even the familiar crackle of static to indicate someone was there. Had the line actually connected? The phone had never glitched like this before. Bonnibel was still trying to hold on to the last shreds of hope, but it was getting difficult.

“Marceline?” Bonnibel asked, closing her eyes. At least she could say she’d tried…

As if waiting for her cue, a cacophony of sound exploded from the receiver. A chorus of shrieks, howls, and horrendous wailing burst forth. Bonnibel had reflexively pulled away, but even with the phone at arm’s length the sound was ringing out in the room.

Slowly, a bit of sense began to emerge from the chaos. It started as scattered syllables, delayed and out of time. Eventually, syllables came together to form a chant.

“Marceline! Marceline! Marceline!” The demonic voices chattered, raucous laughter and derisive snorts punctuating each call of the name.

Bonnibel's ears felt like they were going to bleed. Each voice felt like a physical weight on her chest, trying to drag her down and bring her face close to the receiver again. She was panting, her vision fading in and out of focus as she continued staring at the phone.

She closed her eyes, trying to muster up her will. She forced her trembling fingers to move, slamming the button to end the call. There was a final wheezing crackle, before the noise finally died out.

The silence seemed to echo in the room, surrounding Bonnibel like a physical presence. She leaned against the wall for support, sliding down until she was sitting on the floor. A small trickle of smoke escaped the case, and she noticed that it felt very hot under her hand. She dropped the phone on the floor, numbly noting that her fingers were burned.

Bonnibel’s head felt foggy, and she must have sat there for a good ten minutes before she finally began to feel like herself again. Her temples throbbed, and her mouth was dry. She shifted, reaching down and picking up the phone.

There was something scratched into the plastic on the back of it. Bonnibel flipped the phone over, noting that it was written right over the “Property of Bonnibel Bubblegum” sticker. The letters were messy, as if someone had scratched them in with a small, dull blade. Bonnibel traced the letters, mouthing the name silently.

“MAJA”

The name sounded vaguely familiar, but Bonnibel couldn't quite remember where she’d heard it. Well, at least she had something to go on now. She might not be able to properly research the King of the Nightosphere, but she could see if there was anything to be found on this “Maja”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This ended up being a couple of days late, but I hope y'all enjoy it! I had a great time writing it!


	3. The Oracle of the Shifting Sands

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Content warnings: some spooky things and discussion of potentially falling down a cliff, but that's it.
> 
> Shoutout to nebula-gaster for beta reading this!

Bonnibel double-checked her carabiner, tugging hard. It seemed strong enough, the lock clicking as she failed to pull the rope through. The rope was properly threaded through the anchors, carefully wrapped and positioned. She looked over at her anchor, but that was secure as well, digging into the rocks nearby.

Bonnibel took a deep breath, then began to approach the edge of the cliff. No matter how many times she’d done this, she always hesitated. Even with over 200 metres of rope for a 150 metre deep canyon, she couldn’t help wondering if she would have enough to rappel down. She needed to reach the bottom.

Apparently, true seers and oracles were rather difficult to find these days. With no books to help her out, Bonnibel had been relying on heresay. She’d burned her way through ten false prophets in the last week, and this was the last name on her list. Unfortunately, there was only one way to get to the oracle: finding her hidden desert home.

This oracle had better be the real deal, even finding her lair had been a challenge. Bonnibel had spent two days travelling through the desert before she’d found anything like the “deep and perilous crevasse” mentioned in the poem she’d heard. The canyon certainly looked perilous, with sharp rocks bristling out of each side of the drop. This was the smoothest part of the cliff face, but it would still be a difficult climb.

Still, Bonnibel wasn’t going to back out now. She needed answers. All she had to go on was a few questions about the Nightosphere and the name “Maja”. Whenever she’d brought Maja up to the other fortune-tellers, they had all shut down. Maja couldn't be as bad as Hunson Abadeer, but Bonnibel was beginning to get uneasy. If even the shadiest magic-users were afraid of Maja, then Marceline might be in even more trouble than she had thought.

No. There was no time to think of that now. Bonnibel took a deep breath, then walked all the way to the edge of the cliff. She watched a few grains of the shifting sand underneath her, beginning the long fall down into the chasm below. Then, she turned around and began to descend.

She moved as slowly as she could, shuffling a little bit, then doing a few longer steps once she got her footing. She kept one hand next to her carabiner, ready to stop if she needed to. The rope slid fluidly through her hands, friction warming them through her gloves.

Bonnibel made sure not to look down. She kept her eyes on her hands, using some of the less-jagged rocks as grips and footing. She would feel around with her feet, tentatively tapping each ledge to make sure it was solid before moving down onto it. Her arms were beginning to burn, but she tried her best to ignore it. She probably had a long way to go.

At some point, Bonnibel lost track of where she was in the canyon. All she knew was that there was still a good distance to go down, and there was a long wall of rock above her. If not for the aches and pains, she wouldn’t believe that she’d scaled all of it by herself. It would have been nice to use some kind of device, but ‘magic’ was notoriously unstable, and there were high chances that she would just ruin her tech and have to climb down like this anyways.

Bonnibel had slowly been getting more careless, secure in the knowledge that she had made it this far already. She was lost in her thoughts when she put her foot down, not even bothering to test it out. Unfortunately, it seemed the ledge she had chosen was not actually stable. It cracked, and suddenly there was nothing supporting her left foot.

In the next second, several other rocks gave way and tumbled down the cliff face. Before she could blink, she felt herself slipping. Things seemed to slow down as she flailed, already knowing that her hands were too far away to get a good grip in time. She closed her eyes, resigned to her fall.

After two seconds of free falling, the carabiner clicked. Bonnibel was quickly jerked to an abrupt halt, the carabiner holding her tight as she dangled. The ropes around her legs and hips dug into her flesh, and her neck actually cracked from the whiplash. She massaged her neck, evaluating her options in this situation. She couldn't just try and let herself fall again, so it would be best to try and continue scaling the cliff.

It took some effort, but Bonnibel managed to straighten herself up a little and grab the rope. She rocked back and forth, eventually gaining enough momentum to swing toward the rock face again. She grabbed on to the rock face, her fingers aching as she desperately scrabbled for purchase.

She was barely able to hold on, but at least she’d managed to find a grip. She moved to a slightly more protruding ridge, taking a few deep breaths. Unfortunately, she couldn't stop and rest just yet. Shaken and a little unsteady, she tried her best to get back to climbing.

By the time she finally gave in to the urge to look down, Bonnibel was about thirty metres away from the ground. She scrambled down, banging her elbows and knees as she tried to move even faster. That didn't matter; she could rest later. She didn't want to fall again, and she was so close.

She just dropped the final couple of metres landing with a heavy thump in the sand. Her arms and legs were shaking, her breaths coming out in desperate wheezes. She rested her hands on her knees, desperately trying to catch her breath. Her shirt clung unpleasantly to her back, sticky with sweat.

The sunlight couldn't quite get all the way to the bottom of the canyon, and Bonnibel could appreciate the slightly cooler temperature. She looked around, trying to get her bearings. Things looked very different down here, and she had to flip her mental image of the map several times before she could properly orient herself.

She stared up at the stretch of cliff she’d just climbed, impressed that she’d actually managed to climb it. She would have to haul herself up again soon enough, but she didn’t need to worry about that now. First, she actually needed to find the oracle.

Fortunately, that was much easier than Bonnibel had anticipated. An intricate eye with decorative runes around it was carved into the rock above a crack in the stone. It looked just wide enough for Bonnibel to squeeze through. She pulled out her flashlight, lining it up with the hole and turning it on.

The light could only illuminate a small sliver of space, but it was enough for Bonnibel. The entrance quickly widened up into a larger chamber, and she could make out some vague runes on the wall. She put the flashlight in her mouth, holding it in her teeth as she stepped inside. Her bag and carabiner scraped noisily against the wall, but with a little pushing she was able to force her way into the room.

Bonnibel stumbled a little as she entered the room, a stone catching on the edge of her boot. She waved the light around, looking for any sign of life. The stone floor was covered in dust, but Bonnibel still felt like something was watching her.

Was she doing something wrong? She looked down at herself, trying to figure out what was missing. Her clothing was rather unremarkable, but it wasn’t like this was a ‘royal oracle’. The only thing that stood out was her flashlight.

Actually, that was probably it. Oracles had very specific rules about atmosphere, and foreign settings could apparently “disturb” their readings. Bonnibel had never heard of it, but there might be some kind of rule about flashlights disturbing the mysticism of the experience. She sighed, closing her eyes so they would adjust faster.

Sure enough, as soon as she turned off her flashlight a voice began to speak.

“I am Parekal, the oracle of the shifting sands. Who seeks my wisdom?” The old voice croaked, the sound echoing off of the walls.

“I am Princess Bonnibel Bubblegum. I come seeking your guidance, I need to find someone dear to me.” Bonnibel said, cautiously stepping forward. She kept one hand on the pistol tucked into her belt, prepared for anything.

“Who are you searching for?” Parekal asked, her voice rasping harshly over the words.

Bonnibel looked around, but she couldn't see anything. The voice could be coming from anywhere in the cave, or could be transmitted from another location entirely. She would just have to resign herself to communicating with the seer like this.

She tentatively relaxed her shoulders a little, considering how she should respond. She could ask about Maja again, and risk being shut down immediately. However, this oracle was supposed to be fairly powerful. Maybe Bonnibel could skip this Maja nonsense entirely, and get right to what she wanted.

Bonnibel straightened her shoulders, speaking loudly and clearly. “I must find Marceline the Vampire Queen and bring her back to Ooo.”

“Your quest is foolish, but I am bound by the ancient laws to share my knowledge with you.” Parekal seemed resigned, her voice echoing with a little less force than it had before. “The witch Maja can give you what you desire.”

Bonnibel took a deep breath, trying to squash the desire to tear her own hair out. She counted to ten, reminding herself that just because an oracle could see many things did not mean that they could see everything. It wasn’t her fault that Bonnibel already knew that. Besides, if Bonnibel was thinking of the correct set of “ancient laws”, then that meant she had three free questions.

She took a step forward, thinking carefully of the proper way to phrase her query before she finally spoke. “Where can I find Maja? No one else can give me any information.”

“Travel into the woods and you will find her swamp. Keep your desires in your heart, and the path will be revealed to you.” The seer’s voice wavered a little as she spoke, probably trying to add mystery.

Bonnibel couldn't bring herself to care about the oracle’s tone or her cryptic wording right now. At last, she had something to tie to Maja. She closed her eyes, mentally writing the words down in a notebook so she could remember them. There would be plenty of time for her to decipher the riddle later, as long as she could properly recall the phrasing.

Bonnibel reached into her bag, pulling out a ruby the size of her fist and holding it up high. “Thank you, Parekal. You have my utmost gratitude. I give you this ruby in the name of the candy kingdom.”

There wasn’t really any light to make the ruby gleam, but it would be clear enough to anyone watching. She had fulfilled her part of the bargain, and now she could freely leave. She knelt down and placed the ruby on the stone floor in front of her, then turned to leave. She was a little disappointed that she hadn’t gotten more, but she couldn’t really complain. At least now she might actually be able to meet with Maja face to face instead of attempting to ask questions to a burnt piece of plastic.

“Princess?” The oracle asked, continuing when Bonnibel looked back. “Be sure to bring something you hold very dear; Maja does not make these kinds of deals lightly. She will take your soul if you are not careful.”

Her words were serious, and she almost sounded scared. Someone who had skill of this caliber sounding so wary was not a good sign. This “Maja” must be an incredibly powerful force of dark magic. A shiver ran down Bonnibel’s spine, and she wondered for the umpteenth time if she was messing with something out of her league. Yet, for some reason, she still couldn't bring herself to back out. She’d gone too far to retreat, and she was going to see Marceline again no matter what she had to do.

“I’ll keep that in mind.” Bonnibel walked decisively out of the cave, a new determination filling her. She might not have much more than she’d started with, but at least she was making progress. She could do this, and she _would_ find Marceline and bring her home safe.

**Author's Note:**

> I know I've made y'all wait for this one, midterms hit me like a bus. Hopefully I will be back to posting semi-regularly, but I make no promises. I'm really excited about this story though. I've had it outlined for months, almost since the beginning of Awakening. I hope y'all like it!!


End file.
